Acetylene-gas generator.



N0. 686,564. Patented Nov. l2, 19m. 7'

P. E. WARD.

AGETY LENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed July 17, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet l.

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- P. E. WARD.

AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

Application filed July 1'7, 1900.)

(No Model.) 7 2 Sheets-Sheeil.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP ELISHA WARD, OF KINGSTON, CANADA.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 686,564, dated November 12, 1901.

Application filed July 17,1900. Serial No. 23,976. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PHILIP ELISHA WARD, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and a resident of Kingston, in the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Canada, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement in Acetylene-Gas Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a gas-generator, and particularly to an apparatus designed for the generation of acetylene gas and to that class of acetylene-gas generators wherein water is admitted in small quantities tothe receptacle containing the calcium carbid.

The main object of the invention is to so construct a machine for this purpose that the admission of the water to the carbid-chamber may be automatically controlled, an referably so controlled through the volume of gas generated.

Another object of the invention is to cause the generation of the gas to go slowly and perfectly and at a rate sufficient only to maintain a minimum and practically constant amount of gas in storage.

Another object of the invention is the construction of the carbid-chamber, or, as it may be termed, a gas-generator, whereby said generator may be conveniently and readily recharged.

Still another object of the invention is the construction of the apparatus in a manner suchthat any solid particles or steam that may be carried from the generator with the gas may fall back into the generator, and that the gas in issuing from the reservoir to the service-pipe may be cooled, and that any liquid condensed duringsuch act of cooling may be precipitated in a suitable'receptacle and prevent it from entering the service-pipe.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents in vertical section an apparatus embodying the invention. Fig. 2 represents in elevation the details of the apparatus for antomatically controlling the admission of water to the generator. Fig. 3 represents in side elevation the carbid-holder or generator.

Fig. 4 represents the carbid-holder in vertical central section. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through said holder. Fig. 6 represents said holder or generator in plan view. Fig.

7 represents a modification showing a number of carbid holders operating together. Fig. 3 is a modification of a detail.

An apparatus embodying this invention is adapted for small isolated plants, for the operation of one or two lights, or for use at a central station for supplying gas to a large community. Its factor of safety is greatly increased because of the small amount of gas kept in storage, and this is rendered possible by said amount of gas kept in storage regulating the generation of the gas, so that, in fact, the demand for the gas controls the generation thereof.

In the drawings the embodiment of the invention for use on a small scale is illustrated. Therein a telescoping receiver is illustrated, the reservoir being represented at 8 and the dome or bell at 9. This receiver may be mounted upon any suitable support, founda veniently suspended from the bottom of the reservoir by means of the bolts 12. These bolts are attached .to a recessed plate 13, which, in effect, is the cover of the generator. This cover has projecting from the rear side thereof an extension terminating in hooks, as seen at 14, Figs. 3 and 6, and at its forward side it terminates in similar hooks, as seen at 15. These hooks serve in the attachment of the carbid-holder 11 to its cover. Such attachment is effected by meansof the ring 16, to which said holder is permanently connected and which has projecting from the opposite sides thereof suitable trunnions, as seen at-17. These trunnions rest in notches or bearings in a frame 18, which is hinged at its rearward side in the hooks 14 and has at its forward side a bifurcated tongue or projection 19. In the hooks 15 there is pivoted a trunnion-nut 20, through which turns a latch 21, provided with a handle 22 for the manipulation thereof. When the frame 18 is IOO brought into a horizontal position, the crosslatch is turned transversely of the tongues 19, as shown in'Fig. 1, and holds the carbidreceiver tightly against its cover, the joint between the cover and receiver being made tight by means of a packing ring or gasket 23 located between the ring 16 and the downwhich communicate with suitable channels described.

26, formed in any suitable manner in the sides of the carbid-holder. Into the channel formed between this flange 24 and the vertical wall of the carbid-holder is admitted by pipe 27 water to assist in the generation of the gas, and the gas generated passes from the holder through the pipe 28. These pipes are preferably screw-threaded into the cover 13 or otherwise connected thereto in an airtight manner.

Obviously in the place of the grooves 26 in the wall of the carbid-holder there may be formed ribs or other corrugations which will provide channels for conducting the water down the sides of the holder to the carbid. This mode of applying the water to the carbid prevents the rapid generation of gas incidentally upon the application of water to the top of a quantity of carbid, and therefore prevents in a large measure the carrying up of ashes and steam into the gas receiver or reservoir.

The water for admission to the carbidholder may be supplied in any suitable way and from any desired source. The most convenient way of doing this, however, consists in placing at the side of the reservoir 8 a tank, as 29, from which the water may be led through the pipe 27 to the carbid-holder, as In this pipe there is preferably formed a deep trap, as illustrated at 30, for the prevention of the escape of gas through the pipe 27.

The automatic control of the flow of water to the generator may be exercised by means of many different contrivances; but the one illustrated serves the purpose perfectly. It consists of a suitable cock, as 31, the stem of which projects to the exterior of the pedestal and has upon it the counterbalanced sectorgear 32. In mesh with this gear is a rack, as 33, from the upper end of which extends a rod 34, and this is adjustably connected, as by means of a pin 35, to a projection from the dome or bell. This projection may conveniently be made from one of the keepers to the rolls 36, which engage with the guides for the dome or bell. The rack 33 may be maintained in proper position with relation to the sector-gear by means of a guide, as 37, attached, as by means of posts 38, to the sides of the reservoir and pedestal. The counterweight 39 for the sector-gear slightly overbalances said gear, and thereby tends to close the cooks 31. A suitable stop, as 40, may be provided for this counterweight and serve as a limit for the cock in this closed position. It will be noted that as the quantity of gas in the bell 9 increases the rack 33 will be elevated and the amount of water admitted to the generator thereby reduced, and as the bell descends because of the gas being drawn therefrom the rack 33 will descend, and thereby open the cock 31 for the admission of more water and the consequent generation of more gas. In this way the draft upon the gas in the reservoir automatically regulates the admission of water to the generator, and thereby controls the amount of gas generated. The gas as it is generated ascends through the pipe 41 into the dome, said pipe being recurved, so as to discharge the gas below the surface of the water in the reservoir, which, as is usual in gas-receivers, forms the seal between the dome and reservoir. This pipe is preferably carried to the top of the dome, so as to afford every chance possible for the return to the generator of the solid particles of matter and steam that may be carried up with the'gas.

The pipe by which the gas is drawn 01? from the reservoir is indicated at 42 and is preferably made in the form of a coil, so as to provide for the cooling of the gas and the con densation of any vapor that may be mingled therewith. This pipe connects with the service-pipe 43 at the exterior of the reservoir, and from this junction there depends an extension or nipple 44, by which any liquid of condensation maybe deposited in a suitable vessel 45. This vessel is also maintained full of water or other liquid by which the exit through the nipple 44 may be sealed against the outflow of gas.

A safety-check for the gas-receiver is provided and consists of the pipe 46, which terminates near the top of the dome and which telescopes with the pipe 47 sealed to and depending from the top of the dome. This pipe 46 may be led to any safe place, where the discharge of gas will do no damage, and is provided with a seal in the vessel 45, the same as is the service-pipe 43.

Suitable openings, as 48, are provided in the pipe 47 at such a height as will admit gas to the pipe 47 when for any reason the maximum amount of gas desired in the reservoir is exceeded.

Access to the generator is had through a suitable opening in the pedestal, said opening being in the portion cut away in Fig. 1. IVhen it is necessary to charge the carbidholder, the attendant, by means of the handle 22, turns the latch 21 from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown. in Fig. 3 and allows the carbid-holder to swing down in the man- 686,564. is I nor indicated in Fig. 3, when it may be removed by lifting the pins 17 out of the notches in the frame 18 and turning said holder a quarter way around, so that the pins will readily clear the frame, which is seen in dotted lines in Fig. 6 as oblong. The latch 21 22 may be of the form shown in Fig. 3, if desired. Before removing the carbid-holder cook 49 in pipe -11 should be closed to guard against the escape of gas from the receiver. When the holder has been charged anew, it is again placed in the frame 18 and said frame swunginto horizontal position and held there by means of the latch 21 being turned under the tongues 19 on said frame.

Obviously more than one carbid-holder may be used in connection with the same receiver. One way in which this may be done is indicated in Fig. 7', wherein a battery of four carbid-holders is illustrated. This may be served with water and the flow of the water controlled in substantially the same manner as above described. From the pipe 27 a number of branches 50 may be led, one to each of the carbid-holders, and the gas from these holders may be led into a common washing-tank 51 by means of the recurved pipes 41, and from the tank 51 the gas may be led to the dome 9, as by the pipe 41, which may terminate in the dome in the same manner as does the pipe 41. (Shown in Fig. 1.)

A suitable overflow-pipe, as 52, may beprovided for the tank 51, as indicated. By it the level of the water in said tank may not exceed a fixed elevation.

Other changes in the construction and com-' bination of parts embodying the invention may be made aside from those above men tioned without departing from the spirit of the invention,

The invention claimed is-=- 1. The combination in an acetylene-gasgenerating apparatus, of a calcium carbid holder provided with grooved or fluted walls and having a perforated channel near its upper end whereby water admitted to said channel may flow through said perforations and follow the grooves or flutings of said wall to the bottom of the holder.

2. The combination in an acetylene-gasgenerating apparatus, of a gas-receiver having a chamber under it, of a carbid-holder located in said chamber and having a cover suspended from the top thereof and having the body portion hinged to said cover and a latch opposite said hinge for securing said body portion to the cover.

3. The combination in an acetylene-gasgenerating apparatus, of a carbid-holder having a suspended cover provided with a downwardly-projecting central portion, a ring secured to the upper end of the body portion of the holder and provided with trunnions at its side, a frame hinged to the cover and provided with supports for said trunnions, and a latch for securing the forward end of said frame to the cover substantially as set forth.

4. In a carbidholder or generator, the combination with a suspended cover therefor provided with hooks at one side thereof and with a hinge at the opposite side thereof, of a trunnion-nut supported in said hooks, a latch swiveled in said nut, and a frame supporting the body portion of said holder and hinged to the cover and having opposite said hinge tongues with which said latch may engage, as and for the purpose set forth.

Signed at the city of Kingston, in the county of Frontenac and Province of Ontario, this 8th day of June, A. D. 1900.

PHILIP ELISHA WARD.

Witnesses:

L. W. BREOK, FRED. A. FOLGER, J r. 

